The top high school senior basketball players from North Central Ohio got together for the 41st running of the News Journal All-Star Classic at Lexington High School where a packed crowd saw history made in a thrilling overtime battle.

 

An early surge by the South All-Stars, led by Ashland’s Garrett Denbow who finished with 36 points, would quickly be omitted by the North All-Stars run. Willard’s Davon Triplett (19 points & 10 rebounds) had a pair of thunderous first half dunks to give help give the North a 56-46 halftime cushion.

 

Fueled by Lexington’s Cade Stover (26 points & 8 rebounds) and Clear Fork’s Gannon Seifert (23 points), the North put together a 17-3 run that had them ahead 81-59 with under 13 minutes remaining in the contest. Mansfield guard Quan Hilory then caught fire, setting All-Star game records for points (43), made three-pointers (11), points in a half (33) and combined points with a teammate (79), as he willed the South back in front before a game-tying triple from Lexington’s Kyle Johnston (15 points) sent the contest into overtime knotted up at 129 apiece.

 

Twenty-five combined points would be scored in the extra frame, but it would be the South who would walk off the floor as 143-140 victors with Hilory the clear choice for MVP. Quan finished the game 14-30 from the floor, draining 11 of 20 threes and grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 5 assists.